A rare full-length photo of Jackie Robinson during his single season as a member of the Montreal Royals in 1946 is among the premier items as RMY Auctions launches its Summer Premium Auction.
The 8×10 image shows little wear despite its age and shows the newly-signed baseball pioneer in a batting stance in front of empty stands. The company calls it “quite simply the greatest image of Robinson in Montreal that exists.”
It’s one of over 1,000 lots in RMY’s latest auction of original vintage photographs from sports, news and entertainment.
Relatively few solo images of Robinson from his season in Montreal exist today.
Robinson joined the Royals in March of 1946 after agreeing to his historic contract with Brooklyn the previous fall. He was accepted in Montreal but also received a taste of what was in store for him from fans opposed to integration in pro sports when the Royals traveled.
His readiness to play at the highest level was quickly apparent. He was named MVP of the International League with a .349 average and .985 fielding percentage. The following season, he was added to the Dodgers’ roster and begin his ten-year, Hall of Fame career.
Auction bidding is underway now and will continue through August 3 at RMYAuctions.com.
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